


show me that i'll never fly alone

by j_gabrielle



Series: perhaps, this [13]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt!Erik, M/M, Mpreg, Sappiness, so much sappiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 14:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13860084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_gabrielle/pseuds/j_gabrielle
Summary: In the end, W’Kabi gets his revenge. Ulysses Klaue barely making it past the mountains before W’Kabi puts his blade in him.T’Challa wasn’t there.





	show me that i'll never fly alone

**Author's Note:**

> OMFG I FELL ASLEEP.

In the end, W’Kabi gets his revenge. Ulysses Klaue barely making it past the mountains before W’Kabi puts his blade in him.

T’Challa wasn’t there. 

He stays by Erik’s side, holding his hand, kissing his knuckles, whispering prayers to Bast. It was poison, Shuri had said, but nothing lethal. The baby is fine, Erik will be too, in time. But why wasn’t he waking up? 

Shuri could not give him an answer for that. T’Challa knows she probably shook the heavens to keep both his Consort and heir safe. All he can do in acknowledgement is to hold her close when she sits next to him on his long watch.

“I’ve failed him. We’ve failed him. If we hadn’t been so obsessed with keeping ourselves hidden, they probably would have had an easier way getting home. Erik wouldn’t have been taken and none of this would have happened.” T’Challa says, stroking through Erik’s soft curls. He needs a trim. Maybe when he wakes, T’Challa will do it for him.

If he would even let him near. If he would forgive T’Challa for his foolishness. T’Challa would not blame Erik if he didn't. Though the thought alone is making his chest hurt and his head pound, he knows that he would let him go if that was what his love wanted. 

“Then change it. Don’t let anyone else have to suffer the way he did. You have the power to make a difference, so do it. If we can save just one child like Erik, that would be worth it, no?”

T’Challa does not have a reply, choosing instead to keep a hold of Erik’s hand. Eventually her duties call for her and Shuri leaves with a kiss to the crown of his head. “You should rest, brother. It might be awhile.”

“I’ll rest when I know he is awake.”

Shuri does not argue with him, but he is thankful for the change of clothes she sends into the room after she goes. 

T’Challa freshens up in the ensuite, changing and coming back to Erik. He climbs into the bed next to him, folding his arms carefully around his Consort. Pressing close, he whispers, fingers playing with Erik’s hair, “Come back to me, my love. Let me make amends. Please wake up, Erik. I will spend forever earning your forgiveness if that is what you want of me.”

He closes his eyes, ready to let exhaustion take over when he hears, “I should be the one saying that.” Opening his eyes, he sees Erik smile wanly.

“Hey.”

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, T’Challa leans over to press their brows together. His hand shakes when he resumes stroking through Erik's hair. “Hello my love.”

“The baby?” Erik asks, moving to pull back when T’Challa takes his hand and places it over his belly.

“Safe. Both of you are. Klaue poisoned you. But Shuri says you’ll be all right given time and rest. Mama is plotting to keep you on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy.” T’Challa assures him. 

“Oh, that’s cold. That's just cold.” Erik huffs, throat bobbing with tired mirth. 

T’Challa joins him half-heartedly. Blinking, he looks down between them to where their joined hands rest. "My love, I am sorry.”

“Why are you upset?”

“Because I hurt you. I allowed that man to get inside my head. The things I said to you…”

Erik shakes his head, “I don’t blame you. I would have acted the same way, if not worse.”

T’Challa exhales in a long shuddering breath. “How are you so calm about this?”

“Because you’re here now. Because I'm fine, the baby is fine, and so are you. And that’s all that matters to me.”

T’Challa presses their brows together. “I don’t deserve you."

“What was it you once said to me, hm? Not about deserve?” T’Challa smiles.

Erik closes his eyes, arching into T’Challa's hand in his hair. “There’s something you should know.” T’Challa continues carefully, “Klaue is dead.”

“Ah.” Erik swallows, "And you didn’t get anything from him about my dad?”

“No, my love.”

T’Challa folds his arms tight around him, looking up at the ceiling. Erik shudders into the embrace and he feels a dampness growing on his shoulder. “I had hoped. To keep him safe. But somehow, somewhere in the back of my mind, I think I’d always known that they would have never let him live. I was just…"

“You were a child. Forcibly taken from your family. Forced to comply to the whims of a madman.” T’Challa returns his hand to caress him. "I’ll bring him home to you. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t promise what you can’t keep.” Erik chuckles sadly.

“I promised to love you, didn’t I?” T’Challa whispers, “I hope I am still allowed to."

“You’ll always be allowed to.” Erik pulls back to look into his eyes. T’Challa feels his heart swell with emotion. It really shouldn't be this simple. Erik shouldn't be forgiving him so quickly. But looking into his Consort's eyes and not seeing a lie, the swell of emotion grows. Slightly overwhelmed, he leans over, kissing his Erik, tasting absolution.

**Author's Note:**

> I god to honest fell the fuck asleep in the middle of editing this because I am a permanently exhausted pigeon don't judge me. This definitely screwed up the posting schedule, so sorry everybody! 
> 
> NEW SCHEDULE:  
> Sun Morning - Conclusion (which is this one)  
> Sun Evening - Epilogue (Part 1)  
> Sun Evening - Epilogue (Part 2)  
> Monday - EXTRA SHIT COZ I CAN
> 
> We're still doing this, you guys! Thanks so much for reading <3
> 
> You can leave me some moodboard requests [Here](http://hardheartshere.tumblr.com/ask) or you can leave me some fic requests [Here](http://randomingoftherandomness.tumblr.com/ask)
> 
> I'm so tired you guys no lie.


End file.
